Here's a quarter….well, here's a dime

Ledger Road controversy at BOCC meeting

CHIPLEY – Nan Thompson ended her address to the Washington County Board of County Commissioners Thursday by thumping a dime on the podium and saying, “For whoever is involved in this, here’s a dime for the paralegal; someone in this room will know what that’s about.” No one owned up to knowing what “that’s about,” but a driveway on Ledger Road was a controversy at the meeting, with Thompson participating in the controversy.

The driveway at 1586 Ledger Road was updated with milled asphalt according to Commissioner Eddie Holman and Road Supervisor Dallas Carter because the driveway caused a serious drainage problem to the rest of the road.

Holman talked about the drainage problem and made no apologies for having the driveway fixed. “I’ve done no less that any other commissioner would do,” he said.

Ledger Road is not on the County road maintenance list, Carter said, but it has always been graded and requires a fair amount of maintenance because of drainage problems. Holman provided material from his district stockpiles, including rock, in an attempt to improve the road, he said. Pipe work has also been done.

Holman said the other commissioners said he could work on the driveway as far as it was necessary, but Commissioner Ronnie Finch said, “All the commissioners didn’t say that.” Finch also said the road should not be graded unless it was on the maintenance list.

Skyler Carter definitely wanted the road more than graded. “You pave a private drive versus a public road you can’t even maintain,” she said to the Board.

Thompson, who has also been involved in the controversy over the natural gas pipeline expansion coming to the county, asked the Board several questions:

•Is an engineer used for road work, especially with drainage problems?

•Why is taxpayers’ money being put into a private drive?

•The road is not properly registered with 911.

“If this can be done for a friend or family member can it be done under the Sunshine Law,” Thompson asked. She cited Florida Statute 112.313(6): MISUSE OF PUBLIC POSITION: No public officer, employee of an agency, or local government attorney shall corruptly use or attempt to use his or her official position or any property or resource which may be within his or her trust, or perform his or her official duties, to secure a special privilege, benefit, or exemption for himself, herself, or others.

Thompson also locked horns with Holman over whether the two had talked about the road. Holman said no and Thompson said she had called several times.

“I have to call you a liar and I will,” she said. Then Thompson thumped her dime and left.

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